How to calibrate your PC monitor to get the best picture possible

Home computers have come a long way since the early days. Processors are much faster and storage size is incredibly large in comparison.

They have also come way down in price. You can now pick up a powerful desktop or laptop computer for a fraction of the cost that you would have paid for a lesser machine in the mid-1990s.

Peripheral devices have also made great strides. For example, you can purchase large, flat screen HD monitors that are extremely light-weight with great picture quality.

Many people use these wonderful gadgets to play video games or stream movies. However, if you buy a new monitor, its display settings might not be right for you.

That's why you need to know how to test and calibrate your PC monitor.

Before we tell you how to adjust your monitor's settings, let's define them.

What are monitor settings?

When you go to adjust the settings on your monitor, it's a good idea to know what you are adjusting.

Brightness - This setting is pretty self-explanatory. Adjusting this will make your screen brighter or darker, depending on what you like. Many people find that the 75 percent range is the most comfortable on their eyes. Try this setting with both the room lights on and off to make sure it works for either.

Color - When you increase or decrease the color setting, you are adjusting the color saturation of the monitor. That just indicates how bold and deep the colors are. Turn it all the way up and then turn it all the way down to see the color range. Set it where it's most appealing to you.

Sharpness - This setting is dependent on your monitor's resolution and the quality of what you are watching. An HD movie will look different from a lower quality video that you would find on YouTube. If sharpness is set too low, it could result in a softer, blurry picture.

Tint - This setting adjusts color hue, defined as the property of light by which the color of an object is classified as red, blue, green or yellow in reference to the spectrum. This can vary depending on the monitor's manufacturer. Many times this setting will impact the color and dimness of the display.